Defending Jade
by slackerD
Summary: "Tori always defends you," Cat tells Jade. "Even after you're mean to her."


**Title:** Defending Jade  
**Author:** slacker_d  
**Pairing/Characters:** Jade/Tori, Andre, Cat  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Summary:** "Tori always defends you," Cat tells Jade. "Even after you're mean to her."  
**Disclaimer:** Not mine.  
**Word Count:** ~3,200  
**Spoilers:** References 2x10, Jade Gets Crushed

* * *

Since Jade and Beck broke up, Jade's been bitcher than normal. She can admit that. What little tolerance she has for people is now nonexistent; especially without Beck there to remind her that being nice isn't all that difficult. It feels a lot more difficult now that she's alone.

Still she has enough pride to pretend otherwise. Even alone, Jade West is still more talented than anyone at Hollywood Arts. She's sure to convey that as she strolls through the halls. She hears the whispers. She knows that people are constantly bad mouthing her the moment she's out of hearing range. It's always been like that. It's how she knows she's made an impression.

And yet, Jade doesn't remember it hurting before. Maybe it's because she had three years of Beck's support and suddenly it's gone.

Or maybe she's just having a bad day. There was a pop quiz in math she wasn't ready for, the first draft of her script was handed back looking like a massacre with all the red ink on it and she was assigned a fifteen page history paper due next week.

Normally, she'd just hide in the janitor's closet; there's so many interesting things to do there. Except she's just not in the mood to be found and she knows it's the first place _some_people look for her in. And today, she's just not in the mood. Instead, she heads to the girls' bathroom and picks the stall closest to the wall, so she can lean against it.

She's quietly eating a turkey sandwich when the door swishes open and gets to hear the end of a conversation.

"…without Beck at her side now, she's a complete and utter bitch."

"Do you blame her? She probably knows the guy's a saint. No one else is going to put up with any of her bullshit."

Both girls then cackle.

The only thing that stops Jade from jumping up and shoving her scissors in their faces is that the door swishes open again. That and her pride about being caught eating lunch in the bathroom.

The cackling stops as someone steps inside the bathroom. Jade sees booted feet walk to the farthest sink.

"You going to ask him out?" the second girl asks. "He's definitely available now."

"Was thinking about it. After Jade, he probably can't wait to go out with someone sane."

"Yep. Girl is psychotic for sure."

"Excuse me."

Jade strains as she hears the newcomer interrupt the conversation between the first two girls.

"Uh, yes?" the first girl asks, obviously annoyed.

"I'd be careful what I said about Jade West."

"Why?" the second girl questions. "Are you going to run back and tell her, _Tori_?"

"No," Tori replies. "Lucky for you."

"Pshaw," the first girls says. "If you're not going to do anything about it, then why are you bothering us?"

"I'm going to do something about it," Tori says. "You're going to lay off Jade. Or else."

"Or else?" the first girl chuckles. "Oooh. Like we're scared of the nicest girl in school."

"You should be."

Their response is loud laughter. Jade leans towards the stall door, straining to hear. She hears Tori's boots approach the laughing girls.

"Last chance," Tori says.

"Oooh. Scary," the second girl mocks.

Jade then hears the muffled sounds of what might be a fight. She can't tell for sure and she's certainly not going to stick her head out to look.

"Now," Tori says once the kerfuffle seems to be over. "Are you going to stop ripping on Jade?"

"What did you do?" the second girl gasps, pained.

"My dad's a cop," Tori replies. "He says kicking out a person's knees is an excellent way to take someone down quickly._Now_. Are you going to stop making fun of Jade?"

"Uh uh," the first girl mutters. "We'll stop."

"Good."

Jade then hears the water running. It sounds like Tori is washing her hands.

"Well, you ladies have a nice afternoon."

Jade watches Tori's boots exit with the swoosh of the door. And then she's left alone in the stall listening to the pained groans of the two gossiping girls.

**…**

Jade spends the rest of the day thinking about what she overheard in the bathroom. Just when Jade thought Tori would stop surprising her, she witnesses Tori _defending _her and with actual violence too. The longer Jade thinks about it, the more she begins to wonder if it was just a dream.

"Hi Jade."

"Hey Cat."

"School's over."

"I know," Jade says. "That's why I'm putting my homework in my bag and leaving the rest of it here."

"Yay! That makes sense."

Jade sighs. She can't believe she's going to ask this, because Cat certainly isn't the most reliable reporter, though there is a chance that Cat will forget that Jade even asked her.

"Uh, Cat?"

"Yes, Jade?"

"I overheard something weird today and I-"

"Oooh, was it about how Pandas are really aliens studying humans, so they can eventually take over?"

"Uh no. Just listen."

"Kay, kay."

"I overheard Vega… _defending _me earlier today."

"Yeah?"

"Why?"

"Tori always defends you," Cat tells Jade. "Even after you're mean to her."

Jade can only stare at Cat.

"Okay, good talk," Cat says. "I gotta go. I wanna make my brother a cake before he joins the Coast Guard."

"Right, bye, whatever," Jade mutters.

Cat's gone for a few moments before Jade realizes. She looks around the deserted hallway. Right. School's over, time to head home. Heading to her car, Jade can't get the fact that Tori is _always_defending her out of her head. Though, considering the source, Jade wonders if she can believe Cat. Except, who else would she ask?

**…**

Feeling pathetic, Jade creeps down the hall, trying to be quiet. It's been almost two weeks since she overheard Tori defending her in the bathroom and she's spent the entire time trying to figure the girl out.

Jade can admit, to herself anyway, that ever since Tori showed up at Hollywood Arts, she's spent more time watching her than Jade cares to admit. At first, it was to make sure that Tori wasn't looking at Beck. Or vice versa.

However, after a few weeks, it didn't appear that either was watching the other that much and so Jade figured she could relax. But by then she'd gotten in the habit of watching Tori and found it a hard habit to break. It's why she's so hostile to Tori most of the time, to cover up all the staring she does. And it's not like she hasn't caught Tori staring at her. Though Jade has never been able to read Tori's expression.

But now Jade is watching with purpose; trying to understand _why_ Tori would defend Jade so vehemently. No one would blame Tori if she didn't. If anything, it's probably expected that Tori _wouldn't_defend Jade.

Jade's tempted to ask Andre about it, except she's embarrassed. After all, Jade West doesn't care about Tori; they're not friends. Even if Jade's spent the last two weeks reevaluating her opinion of Tori and with it not clouded with jealousy, Jade wonders if she and Tori's history might have been different.

Feeling a bit vulnerable and lonely, Jade wonders if holding on so tightly to Beck while pushing Tori away was such a good idea. After all, Beck is no longer in her corner; where it seems that Tori is, despite having every reason to let Jade fend for herself. It's what she had with Beck. It's a stupid and naïve thought, apparently. Jade briefly wonders if she and Tori dated and broke up, would Tori still defend her after? Because Beck isn't. Jade believes Tori might.

**…**

A few days later they're all sitting together at lunch, even Beck. He and Jade are as far away from each other as possible, but they're trying. There are a lot of awkward moments, like when Beth Meyers stops by the table to ask Beck out. Or when Robbie makes a joke about Beck and Jade always making out before. But they get through the meal without bloodshed.

Jade is still trying to watch Tori without being caught, but she thinks maybe Tori's catching on, because she's actually met Tori's eyes with her own, but Tori's never looked away in embarrassment or fear of retribution. Instead, she continues to watch Jade, almost as if she's an animal in the zoo or a science experiment. Jade's finding it a bit unnerving. And it's causing her to once again reevaluate her opinion of Tori.

**…**

After another week, Jade can't take it. She breaks down and drops by Andre's house one afternoon. She hopes he's alone because she has no plausible explanation why she's there and if faced with Tori's presence, Jade has no idea how she'll respond.

"Jade," Andre exclaims when he opens the door. "Uh, how's it going?"

"I need to ask you something," Jade says, pushing past Andre and entering.

"Well, then I guess you should come in," Andre mutters, closing the door.

Jade begins pacing the minute she steps inside Andre's living room.

Andre watching this for a minute or so before asking, "Well, what did you want to ask?"

"About Tori," Jade tells him.

"Uh, what about Tori?" Andre asks.

"Why is she always defending me?"

"What?"

"I overheard Tori telling a couple of skanks to stop bad mouthing me a few weeks ago. And it's just… baffling."

"Um… Why? Tori always defends her friends," Andre says.

"We are not friends," Jade protests.

Andre sighs. "Just because you don't think of her as _your_ friend, doesn't mean she doesn't think of you as _hers_."

"Oh."

"And why do you even care?" Andre presses.

"Because even after all this time, I still can't figure that girl out!"

"Chicks," Andre groans to himself.

"What?"

"I don't know what you want me to say, Jade," Andre says. "Tori's always been nice to you. Maybe you could be nice back. Especially since it's been almost two months since you and Beck broke up and she hasn't shown _any _interest in dating him."

"Yeah, but I-"

Jade is interrupted by a loud knock on the door.

Andre looks a bit panicked. "It's Tori," he tells her.

"Shit."

"Andre, I can hear you in there," Tori calls.

"Damnit, Vega," Jade mutters looking around for an escape route.

"Just a sec, Tori," Andre calls. He turns to Jade. "Just hide. I'll see if I can convince her to go out for sushi or something."

Jade nods. She jumps behind a couch and wonders when Jade West started hiding from Tori fucking Vega.

She hears the front door open and the stomp of Tori's boots as she franticly enters.

"What took so long?" Tori asks.

"Oh. I, uh, well, the thing is-"

"Never mind," Tori says. "It's probably better if I don't know."

"Maybe," Andre mutters. "Hey. I wasn't doing anything weird, if that's what you're thinking."

"Course not."

"So what's up?"

"I need your help figuring out Jade," Tori says.

"Uh, I'm not sure if I'm qualified for that," Andre replies.

"You're my best friend," Tori says. "It's your job to help me with my romantic entanglements."

Romantic entanglements? Jade thinks. Maybe she was wrong to think Tori had no interest in Beck.

"You're right," Andre says. "Why don't we grab some food and talk it out?"

"No, I can't eat right now."

"Coffee then," Andre tries. "I could go for some caffeine."

"If you don't want to help me-"

"It's not that, exactly," Andre tells her.

"Look," Tori says. "I know your history with Jade is… I don't even know what. But I'm not sure I can just sit on the sidelines anymore."

What the hell does that mean? Jade thinks.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Andre says.

"I think I should make a move."

"I don't think that's such a good idea," Andre replies.

"Why not?" Tori asks.

"Because," Andre says. "Because you don't know how Jade's going to react."

"Of course I don't," Tori replies. "That's the point."

"And you, uh, really think you're ready to find out?"

"I'm tired of being patient."

"But patience is like a virtue or something," Andre says.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I don't know."

"I'm doing it," Tori tells him.

"I just don't think that's a good idea," Andre replies.

"_Why not_?" Tori asks again. "I mean I've kept quiet for years now. _Years_, Andre, _years_."

"I know."

"And it's not like you're one to talk," Tori continues. "You practically announced your feelings to the entire school."

"I know."

"So why can't I just go for it?" Tori asks.

"I just don't want you to get hurt," Andre replies. "We don't know how she's going to react."

Tori sighs. "I know. But I'm not sure I care anymore."

"Even if it's negative."

"I feel like it's almost guaranteed that it'll be negative," Tori replies.

"And you're okay with that?"

"Maybe?"

"How about this?" Andre says. "Sleep on it. _Really _think about it. And then tomorrow we'll talk it out and you'll realize that it's not a good idea. And that even though staying quiet sucks-we can both agree on that-it is a good and viable option."

"Fine," Tori huffs.

"We'll figure it out, Tori."

"I know. Look, Andre, I'm sorry about before. You know with your song and your crush. That was just my jealousy speaking."

"I know, Tori," Andre replies. "And it's not like you haven't tried to work past your feelings. A lot of the stuff you said were the things you were telling yourself about her."

"They were."

Tori's cell phone ringing is suddenly very loud in the quiet room.

"Argh," Tori groans. "It's Trina. I told her I'd only gone a couple minutes. She needs the car for an audition. I better go."

"All right. See you tomorrow," Andre says. "Well figure this out."

"Thanks Andre. You're the best."

"I know."

Jade waits until she hears the front door slam, before standing.

"What the hell was that about?" Jade asks when Andre returns.

"Uh…"

"Who is Vega going to ask out? Beck?"

"No."

"Don't lie to me, Andre," Jade snarls. "If Vega waited this long to ask Beck out to get on my good side, I'll-"

"She was talking about you," Andre interjects.

"I heard," Jade growls.

"And she meant that she wants to ask _you_out," Andre blurts out.

Jade moves her mouth, but no words come out. After moving her jaw a few more times, she manages to sputter, "What?"

"You heard me."

"Vega has a crush? On me? For _years_?"

"Uh, yeah."

"I'm gonna go," Jade says. "I, uh… yeah. I'm gonna go. Thanks for…" Jade doesn't know what she's thanking him for, so she just nods and walks out.

**…**

Tori must have decided that asking Jade out isn't worth the risk because whenever Jade looks her way the next day, Tori ducks her head and looks away. It's strange because to Jade it almost feels like rejection after what she overheard the day before. She wants to hate Tori more, but instead finds herself wanting to get closer.

It's frustrating because Jade's beginning to think she's always felt that way and maybe that's where the hatred has come from. She always did wonder why she disliked Tori so passionately. And why she always felt guilty around Beck. Jade thought it was because he was so disapproving of her attitude towards Tori, but maybe it was because Jade knew that she didn't _love_ Beck half as much as she claimed to _hate_Tori.

This realization, in addition to receiving the cold shoulder from Tori is making her cranky, which means she spends the day being called a gank. This does nothing for her mood.

**…**

Tori Vega might be the most aggravating person Jade has ever met. It's been over a week since Jade learned of Tori's crush and Tori's barely glanced Jade way once.

It makes Jade feel a bit pathetic, hoping for Tori to just _look_at her. How the hell did she manage to pull Jade in by essentially doing nothing at all? It makes Jade feel like one of the many hopeless boys that follow Tori around like a puppy after she graces them with a smile and a hair flip.

**…**

It takes Jade three more days to become fed up with the situation. She's Jade freaking West. If she wants someone, she gets them. Never mind the fact that it's Tori Vega.

Jade watches Tori arrive and head straight for her locker. She says hi to people on the way, but never once does she look back Jade's way. Jade misses receiving those quick little hopeful glances.

Sick of being passive, Jade slams her locker shut with purpose and stalks across the hall towards Tori. As she does this, the hallway begins to fill with furious whispers and murmurs of speculation. Jade can tell Tori knows something is up, but the girl keeps her head in her locker, ignoring Jade's approach.

Relying on old habits, Jade grabs Tori's wrist, slams her locker closed and drags her into the janitor's closet. Jade doesn't bother with the light. She simply pushes Tori up against the door and kisses her soundly.

Tori quickly falls into the kiss. Jade can't help but smile before deepening the kiss and letting her hands slide down Tori's lower back. However, when Jade's hands reach Tori's ass, the kiss is broken.

It's dark, but neither move to turn on the light. Jade is also surprised that Tori doesn't try to move away from the door or out of Jade's embrace.

"What was that?"

"A kiss," Jade smirks. "I know it's been a while, Vega, but c'mon."

Tori sighs. "What does it mean, Jade?" She sounds like a placating teacher.

"It _means_that I've been wanting to do that for a while now," Jade answers.

"Okay. So now that you have, you're going to mock me for kissing you back?"

"_No_," Jade replies. "I'm going to kiss you again, for much longer this time and then later when you buy me coffee, I'm going to chastise you for not asking me out because we could have been doing this for months instead of minutes."

"_I_ was supposed to ask _you _out?" Tori asks, sounding amused.

"Yeah," Jade replies. "Since Beck broke up with me, I certainly wasn't going to risk rejection so soon after. As my friend, you should have known that."

"I thought I wasn't your friend," Tori says.

"Well you are now."

"Oh."

"What?"

"Well, I was sorta hoping with the kiss, maybe that meant you'd go out with me," Tori stammers.

"I might," Jade replies. "If someone actually asked me out."

"Okay then," Tori says. "Will you go to dinner with me tonight?"

"I will on one condition," Jade counters.

"All right," Tori hesitantly replies.

"You skip first period with me and we resume the kissing."

"What about second period?" Tori asks.

"We'll see if you can keep up first," Jade smirks.

"Is that a challenge _West_?"

"You up for it, _Vega_?"

"Shut up and kiss me."


End file.
